Homebound
by Synergetic Prose
Summary: Shalluram s7 AU: Allura finds Adam but the trip back to the Garrison proves to be challenging as personalities clash. (Shiro/Allura/Adam)
1. Chapter 1

AN: This has been on my mind for ages. First chapter inspired by Allura Ship Week prompt - Fashion/Armor (but armor used only lol). This is Armor Part One.

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The Garrison debriefing finally ended. Shiro pulled her to the Wall without a word.

"Adam didn't -"

His voice cut off abruptly. He pulled her in tightly and sobbed against her neck. Every man had his limits and Shiro was well past his. She sighed as tears leaked out of her eyes in empathy. He had survived the arena and even death itself only to come home to this.

"I'm so sorry love," she whispered.

She held him for a while longer, rubbing his back and making soothing sounds. He had told her about his ex-fiancé. The things he missed about him, how sorry he was for their messy breakup. They talked extensively about themselves too and, if he reconcile with Adam, what the future could hold depending on what Adam wanted.

But they hadn't expected this.

Adam's demise was cruel in a way that couldn't be fully explained in words but holding Shiro right now she could feel the ache in his essence. Alllura shifted her hold on him so she could see him face to face. The heartache in his eyes made her tears slip out faster.

She took a moment to swallow it down.

"Shiro - Takashi," she gently wiped under his eyes with her thumbs. "I'm sorry to ask...but are they certain?"

Shiro's shoulders lifted up in a tiny shrug. "There were only fragments left from his squadrons' fighters." He closed his eyes. "Nothing to bury."

She pulled him in for a hug. His left arm hung by his side as he leaned into her for strength. It was rare for him to do that in private, let alone in public. Without his right arm he was stricter with himself on not portraying weakness around the Garrison - most likely subconsciously done but Allura noticed.

But this...

This was too much to mask.

"Heavens," she sighed for what she was going to say. "Could I try something Shiro?"

He did that tiny shrug again. She pulled away from the hug and took his hand.

"We need to go outside."

He offered no resistance as she led them out to an inner courtyard. Thankfully no one was around at the moment but she didn't know how long that would last. She hated the thought of rushing him but it was wartime. Every tick counted in these situations.

She drew herself up and faced him. She needed to be his fortifying armor right now. Heavens knew he was hers several times over. It was time he let her take care of him.

"I want to see if I can sense him but I don't know what his quintessence feels like." Pause. "Shiro." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Is it too much to ask to see in your mind?"

His red eyes darted across her face as he let that sink in.

"You need to access my memories."

"Yes."

"...I'll have to consciously bring those up right? And the training headbands wouldn't work?"

"Yes. The headbands probably would but this will be quicker." She gave his shoulders a light squeeze. "I know this isn't the right time, however -"

"The sooner the better," he murmured.

"I'll be quick," she reiterated. "It'll help if you think of the strongest memories of him."

"Of course it will have to be," he tiredly replied. He rubbed his eyes and then took a long breath in. "What else do you need?"

"For you to breathe love," she brushed his white bangs aside but they slid back in front of his eyes. "Close your eyes."

"Sorry. I appreciate this Allura. It's just...What if it doesn't -"

"Shiro," she closed his eyes for him with a touch of her fingers. "I understand. But let's focus on this step first."

He kept his eyes closed. She grew so she was tall enough to place her forehead against his.

"Breathe," she softly instructed. "And just let the memories come. Don't fight them."

He felt her fingers at his temples, felt the warmth of her power as she summoned it into her fingers -

_ \- Warmth filled him as he felt Adam kiss him back. Adam's fingers slid up his jaw and lightly rested along his temples. He let out a shaky breath as his gamble paid off. Adam pulled away._

_"Why are you shaking?"_

_He lightly laughed. "I wasn't sure you felt the same way."_

_"Takashi," came Adam's signature no-nonsense-tone. "Sixteen year olds don't usually hold hands for non-romantic reasons."_

_"Was that what you were trying to do?" He laughed loudly. "I thought we bumped accidentally."_

_"That was the point." Adam gave him a flat look. "But then you pulled away."_

_"Aw. You tried hitting on me."_

_"But someone wasn't cooperating."_

_He put his hand along his flight partner's side. "I'm cooperating now."_

_Adam pulled away before he could lean in for another kiss. _

_"Wait."_

_Adam calmly took off his glasses, folded them, and placed them on the dorm desk. Then he surged forward unexpectedly. His breath was stolen in a rushed kiss. Adam's hands were back along his face. He tried moving his lips to match Adam's but he was clumsy._

_"Don't you know how to kiss?"_

_He sheepishly shrugged. "Haven't kissed much."_

_"Then stop trying to lead." Adam sighed but there was fondness in his eyes. "Follow me this time."_

_He swallowed in anticipation. "Ok."_

_Adam started softly. Slowly. He felt honey warm fire dancing in his veins._

_\- He was crushing his lips against Adam's after his eighteenth birthday party. _

_Someone snuck booze into the party. They drank it all. They were young stars in the Garrison. Brazen. Bold. Defiant. Instead of blood there were solar flares in his veins. He was like a rocket just bursting to take off._

_"Takashi," came Adam's breathless voice._

_"I remember."  
_

_He took off Adam's skewed glasses. They picked up where they left off, stealing each other's air and tugging at each other's clothes._

_-His fingers danced against his tanned skin as he watched Adam sleep._

_His skin was always so smooth. So warm. He leaned forward and kissed his shoulder. Adam stirred and turned his head towards him with squinting eyes._

_"Go back to sleep," Adam groused._

_He smiled widely before kissing him._

_\- His muscles hurt. _

_That was all that was going through his mind. Adam was kneeling with him, calling out his name but he just knew pain. His wrist relaxant was acting up again._

_"Adam," _ _he hissed out through clenched teeth. "Call Sam - **Please**."_

_\- "You're still trying out for Kerberos?"_

_"You're **still** asking me that?" he shot back with bitterness._

_\- The tension was thick._

_"If you go," Adam slowly stood up, "Don't expect me to be here waiting like a puppy. I have dreams too, Takashi."  
_

_He clenched his hands. "My answer hasn't changed."_

_Adam grabbed his shoulder bag. "Have a nice flight," he tersely bit out._

_"I won't have another chance," he determinedly defended. _

_"No. You won't."_

_"Adam -"_

_The door firmly closed._

"That's enough."

Shiro's eyes flew open at the sound of Allura's voice. She petted his hair and then let go of him as she shrank back to normal size. He watched her half kneel down on the ground. She breathed in, making her quintessence light up her body.

She breathed out and placed her hands on the earth. A glowing line of blue-white light streaked across the courtyard and under the Garrison buildings. He watched silently, anxiously.

What if it didn't work?

What if it did?

Her energy withdrew back into herself. She straightened up and dusted her knees. His palm was clammy. His heartrate was probably loud enough for her to hear.

"Allura?"

She turned to him with watery eyes.

"He's alive."

All the air in his lungs left him. He shuddered as he sucked air back in.

"Oh."

His eyes were dripping again. He used the edge of his Garrison sleeve to wipe his eyes but he was just couldn't stop.

"Oh Shiro."

He let out a wet laugh as she embraced him yet again.

"I'm not usually this weepy."

"Even if you were there's nothing wrong with it. It's good news."

"Damn good news," he laughed again.

They were going to bring Adam home.

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AN: Sooo the Adam I've been writing in my stories is a bit of a smartass but the snark's kind of to cover vulnerabilities. It takes a while for him to open up to people but with Shiro it had been unusually easy. Shiro was the rare exception. Keep that in mind.

I'll try to show my headcanon of him within the story but thought an overview might be helpful. Totally understand that it may not match other people's ideas of Adam but I'm going with it. XD

I promise I'll do an Adashi piece(s) for Shiro Ship Week.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Armor Part Two

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It was stuffy.

Months underground and Adam's inner thoughts were still as petulant as Day One.

Not that he was conscious on Day One or that whole first week here. He supposed it was 'Day One of waking up and finding myself half bandaged and living as a mole.' He was grateful that a faction of the resistance found him and some of his squadron but some days he felt like moping. After fighting and almost dying against a sudden alien attack, as the head fighter pilot of the Garrison's defense he felt like he was allowed a moment or two of childish thoughts.

Especially when he, a vegetarian Indian man, was offered a toasty lizard on a stick.

The rational part of him knew that they were lucky to find the food that they did. Immediately upon getting a stronger whiff of the lizard the _irrational_ part told the rational part to go screw itself. If the woman noticed his hesitance she kept it to herself. He pushed up his half broken glasses before reaching out for today's lunch. He nodded his head and slowly lifted the charred lizard to his mouth.

"Thanks."

At least it wasn't a rat.

The cooked tail had looked like a fat worm left in the sun. Eating that had nearly made him vomit just by looking at it. He pointedly didn't look at the lizard as he chewed down on it. Instead, he looked at the low fire. This part of the underground cave network had a higher ceiling but the designated cooks used the heat of the coals and log embers to do the cooking rather than flames. His teeth dug into a less than cooked part. The slimy texture of it touched his tongue before he could stop it. His shoulders immediately tensed as he tried to control the hard shudder.

_Oh god._ _I hate lizards. I hate rats. I hate cooked bats with their heads still attached to their bodies._

He was most likely going full on vegan after this. One of his squadron pilots had sat next to him as he bit into the uncooked part of the lizard. The man had the gall to laugh at the undoubtedly sour expression of disgust on his face.

"That good huh?"

Adam pointedly pushed up his glasses with his middle finger.

Hicks grinned. His dark hair was greasy and long enough to go in a baby ponytail. Adam's own hair had grown out some. He could tell that much by how much more his bangs were in his eyes. He didn't have a mirror but he was sure his hair was just as greasy and wild looking as Hicks'. Water was too precious to waste on frequent, proper baths. When they were able to bathe it was just cleaning the essentials.

"Thank you for your bravery," Hicks mock saluted.

"Cute," Adam dryly said.

Hicks took his lizard with a smile. "Is our cheery squad leader bugging you Marge?"

The rebel cook gave him a flat look. "You're the one that's bothering me."

Adam let loose a tiny grin. Hicks put a hand over his heart.

"I'm wounded Marge! I actually like your food." A wide grin appeared. "Adam, on the other hand..."

Marge and Hicks were both looking at him. Adam chewed the half cooked lizard in a bide for time, no matter how disgusting it was. He grew up with the notion to respect his elders unless they were being idiotic. But as a cook himself he couldn't praise crap food with a clear conscious. On the other hand, Marge was in charge of the only food source he had access to.

"Hicks's full of it."

Marge smirked while Hicks shook his head.

"Marge, I hate to break it to you but he's veg-"

"Officer Waikhom!"

Adam shot Hicks a warning glare before turning his attention around. He swallowed his food with a hearty drink of water but the lizard taste lingered. He'd be more upset if it weren't for the circumstances. He recognized Clarissa's curly red undercut. She stopped jogging over with her rifle in hand. He frowned at that. That usually meant one thing.

"Sentries?"

"Yeah, just outside the eastside entrance" she panted, "and thermo hits."

"Galra soldiers?" Hicks sat up. "_Here_?"

Adam threw the remains of his food into the low fire. He looked at Hicks with a serious expression.

"Titan."

Hicks' easy grin was gone. The neutral face of the soldier was in place.

"Wildcat."

Clarissa's back was straight as her leader called upon her.

"Get the rest of the team together. We'll meet in the usual spot in five."

"Yes sir."

"Copy that."

Adam turned to Marge. She was already packing what she had cooked in case they had to vacate. He nodded his head. He pushed his bangs aside, huffed when most of it fell back forward but abandoned any more time on it. His eyes narrowed as his mind shifted into gear.

Karna was in place.

* * *

They moved quietly.

Titan was on his left, Wildcat was on his right. Their strides were quick but their footsteps only let out a soft crunch of dirt. Adam kept his firearm in both hands as he kept his eyes on the front. His left lens was mostly gone, making that eye blurry. He pointedly ignored the fact that there was a long scar that went over his eye. The sight problem was the lens, not his actual eye.

He was stubbornly adamant about that.

Titan tapped on his forearm. The rebels had repurposed some Galra tech for their own use. The virtual map glowed purple on Titan's armguard as he consulted it.

"Coming up the bend Karna."

"Good," Adam spoke low. "Wildcat, we'll scout first."

"Copy."

Adam walked a foot ahead of Wildcat. He didn't have to look to know the rest were hanging back. Wildcat had her rifle up as they hugged the edge. He half knelt down then turned his head. He listened for anything but only heard their soft breaths. He raised up but stayed half down. He held his hand up, gestured to the right then and quietly counted off.

Two, one...

He turned the corner first, looking left. She came out looking right.

"Titan. Clear," she whispered in her earpiece.

_"Copy. Coming over."_

They waited another beat then walked further. He continued leading forward. His heart beat quickened a little when they finally heard metal. They sunk down as they walked, firearms and rifles up. Titan and a veteran rebel were covering the rear. They walked backwards in case anyone came up behind them. Wildcat consulted her armband.

"Thermos," she whispered.

Adam lifted a fisted hand. They stopped. He lifted two fingers then pointed on either side of the corridor. The two snipers split up and took a knee on either side. The sound of approaching sentries was getting louder.

Louder -

The snipers fired.

The rest fired off where they aimed. The first couple of sentries went down fairly quickly. They had to do this fast. There wasn't anywhere to hide except going back around the bend where they came from. He quickly ducked a shot for his head. Titan was now shooting in the spot Adam had been standing up in. He rolled out of the way and then continued firing.

"You'll die in the name of Commander Sendak's Fire of Purification!"

_And there's the thermos. _

"Yeah, I don't think so you space Nazi!" Wildcat bit out.

"They don't know what Nazis are," Titan yelled.

"Shut up and fire," Adam huffed out.

"There's another thermos - above?!"

There was nothing but rock. Then it suddenly dropped down on the Galras they were firing on. The Galra yelled out. Adam frowned as the 'rock' shifted into another Galra soldier. The soldier started fighting his group. That made Adam's brows raise up.

"Their armor has camouflage?" someone hissed.

"Hold your fire," Adam called out.

The attacker got some hits to his face but was unfazed by it. In retaliation, the attacker boxed the Galra soldier's helmet then whirled around and rammed his fellow soldier into the wall. The other Galra yelled out something as he ran for the traitor. The attacker caught her arm and judo flipped her onto her back, knocking her out. The only remaining Galra was the attacker.

"...What just happened?" Wildcat whispered.

"Keep your guns on that Galra." Adam's eyes narrowed as the Galra soldier lifted his arms up in surrender. "Ok, we may be new to this intergalactic war but we're not stupid. Galra don't just give up. It's either win or die with you guys."

The Galran spoke. It sounded like a female voice.

"I don't understand Galran."

The visible part of the Galran's mouth downturned. She gestured to her helmet as she spoke.

"I think she wants to take off her helmet?"

"Could be a trick," one of the snipers grunted. "She wants us to let down our ground. She's outnumbered."

"But then why take out her comrades to begin with?"

"Inner fighting?"

The Galran was speaking again. Listing names that sounded familiar. Then listing human terms.

"...Pidge….Hunk...Lance, Keith. Shiro -"

"They think we know where the paladins are," Titan harshly whispered. "We should just take her down."

Adam's eyes were wide as she kept repeating Shiro's name.

"Adam?" The Galra pointed to the group. "Shiro." She pointed behind her. "Allura." She pointed to herself.

His grip on the gun tightened. "What the hell is going on?"

She gestured to her helmet again. Made the motion of taking it off.

"It's a trap."

"We should just take her down sir."

"Karna. What are your orders?"

"Adam," the Galra repeated in a strangely soft tone.

Adam lowered his gun before he could think twice about it. "Go ahead." He made the gesture of taking off a helmet. "Do what you want."

The other guns slowly lowered. The Galra then made slow, small movements to remove her helmet. Bright blue eyes glowed in the cave's corridor. He couldn't recall ever seeing Galra with eyes like that. Then, the Galra shrank in size. There were some quiet exclamations as the purple skin tint faded to a light brown, her hair went from lavender to snowy white. It wasn't until he saw the twin pink markings glow that he realized who was standing here.

"You're the princess of Altea," Wildcat breathed out.

The same princess that Shiro was fighting with.

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AN: Adam finally makes an appearance and has met Allura. :)

So the universe (except Earth bc they hadn't encountered the Galra) knows GCT, Galra Common Tongue, which is the universal language in the empire. But they do come across some unconquered planets so there's translators in the suits/helmets/jewelry. the paladin and Altean tech has this feature as well but something's up with Allura's tech. I'll explain further in the next chapter. I want to play around with language barriers since it would be strange for space people to know English.

So I made Adam's codename "Karna," a character that appears in the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. He's known as being a very good archer and accomplished warrior. He was born from a princess and the sun god. His mother sent him down the river as a baby since she had him unmarried but he is taken in by a chariot maker. He's known for being well spoken and overall a man of principles.

Straight from wiki (sorry, too much to summarize): Karna is a symbol of someone who is rejected by those who should love him but do not given the circumstances, yet becomes a man of exceptional abilities willing to give his love and life as a loyal friend.


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